During a preseason scrimmage in Florida last year, Lock
Haven goalie Chrissy Baffuto heard that sound no athlete ever wants
to hear. Sophomore Jessica Pandolf, who knew a thing or two about
knee injuries, was the first person at her side.

Baffuto’s freshman season was over before it began thanks
to a partially-torn ACL and a strained LCL. Before that Spring
Break trip ended, Pandolf would also be helped off the field, her
right ACL fully torn after an attempted shot at Rollins. She too
missed the rest of the season and Lock Haven missed the NCAA
tournament for the first time since 2008.

Thirteen months later, Pandolf and Baffuto are both back on the
field and Lock Haven is locked in. The Eagles rank No. 6 in the
latest IWLCA rankings and, more importantly for their NCAA
tournament aspirations, No. 3 in the latest regional rankings.

Last week the Eagles pulled off their two biggest wins of the
year, taking down arch-rival West Chester, 11-6, on Saturday and
up-and-coming Indiana (Pa.), 10-9, on Tuesday. The victory over IUP
clinched a PSAC regular season title and guaranteed home field
throughout the tournament for LHU.

Baffuto and Pandolf played big roles in both wins.

Against West Chester, Baffuto put up a career-high 10 saves
(five off free positions) and held West Chester, which came in
averaging 17.31 goals per game, to its lowest scoring output since
2010.

“Honestly Chrissy was on a whole different level,”
Pandolf said. “At halftime I tried to explain that to her. I
was just so excited that she was playing so great.”

She followed that up with nine saves against IUP, which was held
in single-digits for just the second time all year.

Pandolf provided offensive firepower in both games, scoring a
game-high three goals in the IUP win after putting up four goals
against West Chester. Through 14 games, Pandolf leads the Eagles,
and ranks second in the PSAC, with 48 goals.

“It’s great to have a girl like Jess, especially at
center,” Baffuto said. “She’ll always be there on
defense. You can rely on her to get a goal. She’s someone you
can rely on for everything.”

Baffuto was also able to rely on Pandolf during the long rehab
process. Pandolf had been through it before; she injured her left
knee during her junior year of high school. When they were far
enough along they went on runs together.

“It was good to have Jess,” Baffuto said. “Of
course, I don’t want her to be injured, but she was a great
player to have me get through it mentally. It was just a really
great support system.”

“We helped each other a lot,” Pandolf added.

Both players were back on the field when the preseason begun and
have played every game since.

“I’d been waiting to play for so long,”
Baffuto said. “I couldn’t wait to get out there. I
don’t think anything could have upset me.”

The Eagles have won 10 straight since losing to Limestone in
March and seem primed for a return to the NCAA tournament.

Last year, even with their projected leading scorer and starting
goalie out for the year, the Eagles were deep enough to make an
NCAA tournament run. They likely would have been dancing if the
NCAA tournament had four teams, as it will this year.

With Pandolf and Baffuto joining returning talent like Chelsea
Borrino, who leads the PSAC with 48 assists, and Kelly Hamilton,
who has 45 goals, the Eagles have more depth than ever.

They’ll likely have to get past IUP or West Chester again
in the PSAC, not to mention Mercyhurst, the team that stunned them
in last year’s PSAC playoffs, but the Eagles remain
undaunted.

“It doesn’t matter who we’re playing,”
Pandolf said. “We go into every game the same way.”

Game of Last Week

Queens 12, Pfeiffer 11

Jenna Ready and Brittany Barnwell scored back-to-back goals late
in the third quarter to put Queens up 12-10 and a last-second goal
by Sarah Daly wasn’t enough for Pfeiffer as Queens pulled of
a shocker in the Conference Carolinas semifinals.

What it means for Queens: A feather in the
Royals’ cap and the satisfaction of playing the
season’s biggest spoiler. It’s also something to build
on. Pfeiffer was the Conference Carolinas team thrust onto the
national stage this year. No reason that Queens can’t be
next. In the short-term it meant a trip the Conference Carolinas
championship game, which Limestone won 21-9.

What it means for Pfeiffer: It certainly
doesn’t help. The perception was the Falcons needed to beat
Limestone to make the NCAA tournament, and they didn’t even
get a shot at the Saints. But recent struggles by West Chester have
Pfeiffer still firmly in the postseason discussion. Unfortunately
for Pfeiffer, two of its best wins, against Le Moyne (which looks
even better a month and a half later) and New Haven, can’t
count for NCAAs. The Falcons have a head-to-head victory over
Florida Southern on their resume, and if the season ended today
look good based on the NCAA Regional Rankings, but, with Florida
Southern, West Chester and IUP all still playing, all the Falcons
can do is wait.

Looking Ahead

No. 9 Florida Southern at No. 3 Rollins, Saturday
7 p.m.

Pfeiffer will surely be paying attention to the results of
this one, the first of two real chances for Florida Southern to
boost its postseason resume. Chance No. 2 comes next week at No. 2
Limestone.

The Mocs, currently ranked outside of the South’s Top 6,
will be heavy underdogs in each contest but will have the advantage
of desperation in both. Limestone and Rollins should both be in the
tournament and are playing only for postseason positioning at this
point. Depending on what happens in the PSAC, FSC could play itself
into the postseason conversation with a win in one of these.

Hurting the Mocs is the head-to-head loss to Pfeiffer (and the
fact that their big win over potential North Region playoff team,
Stonehill, in March can’t count). But the Mocs have only lost
to Rollins and Pfeiffer, so a win against a team like Limestone
could go a long way.

Pfeiffer has the advantage over Florida Southern in head-to-head
results, but if the Mocs can score an upset in these next 10 days
they’ll be looking good based on wins vs. common opponents
(Limestone) and results vs. teams with records above .750 (Rollins
and Limestone).

At the very least, a victory by Florida Southern in one of these
games makes a really tough decision for the committee even
tougher.

Of course, a deep PSAC run by either West Chester or IUP could
render both of these irrelevant. IUP and Pfeiffer actually played
in March, but the game was called due to unplayable conditions late
in the first half, with Pfeiffer leading by one. A result from that
game would have made things immensely easier for the winner, and
the committee.

Game Balls

Kayla Green, Stonehill: Green had two
assists and five goals, including two during a late rally that saw
the Sky Hawks erase a late three-goal deficit and avoid a
potentially devastating upset, in a 16-15 come-from-behind victory
at Saint Anselm on Tuesday. On Saturday, Green, a senior from
Londonderry, N.H., had five goals in a 16-12 victory over No. 11
Dowling, a win that should prove a big boost to Stonehill’s
NCAA hopes. No. 9 Stonehill is the first member of the 13-team
Northeast-10 to finish its season and the Sky Hawks will wait and
see how the rest of the weekend shakes out to learn what position
they’ll enter the NE-10 tournament in. Stonehill finishes
10-2 in league play and sits a half game behind Adelphi and Le
Moyne.

Allyson Fritts, Grand Valley State:
Fritts, a senior from Howell, Mich., had seven goals, two assists,
four caused turnovers, three ground balls and two draw controls as
the Lakers increased their GLIAC lead with a 20-7 victory over
Notre Dame (Ohio) on Sunday. Two days earlier, Fritts had three
goals and one assist in a 19-0 victory over Walsh. GVSU is a
perfect 6-0 in GLIAC play, with two conference games remaining
before the tournament.

Sarah Lankton, Findlay: Lankton had a
jaw-dropping eight goals, six assists, 13 ground balls, 12 draw
controls and five caused turnovers in the Oilers’ 23-3 win
over Alderson-Broaddus on Sunday. As of Tuesday, the freshman from
Lankton, Ind., ranks fifth in Division II in goals (63), first in
ground balls (74) and first in draw controls
(107).

Miscellaneous

Only one conference tournament will be decided this
weekend: the CACC. All signs point to South Division No. 1
Philadelphia, which is unbeaten in league play, facing North
Division No. 1 Georgian Court, the tournament’s host.
Philadelphia defeated Georgian Court, 12-10, on Sunday the closest
game the Rams have faced since league play began... The NE-10, PSAC
and GLIAC tournaments all get underway next week.Keep track at our Division II
Clearinghouse.

Mark Macyk has covered NCAA Division II and III
women’s lacrosse for Lacrosse Magazine since 2011. He can be
contacted atmarkmacyk@gmail.com.